Bob Dylan: Shelter From The Storm

Continuing my focus on the music of 1975, today’s selection is from album # 5 on my Top 20 list. 1975 was an incredible year, and the Top 5 albums on my Top 20 list are some of the best albums ever recorded. Yesterday’s selection was from Steely Dan’s album Katy Lied, and there are some years where that record would be a contender for # 1, which shows just how strong these last 5 albums are.

Many people consider Bob Dylan‘s Blood on the Tracks to be his best album, and I have no argument against that (although I would pick Blonde on Blonde). There was a time when it was my favorite and a strong contender for best album of 1975. Dylan is still going 50 years later (and has released a lot of great albums since this one), but I would argue that this is his last great release. Every song is perfectly crafted – the lyrics are poetry, the instrumentation is perfect, and the melodies are prime Dylan. From the monumental storytelling of “Tangled Up In Blue” to the simplistic beauty of “Simple Twist of Fate” to the gorgeous perfection of “Shelter From The Storm,” every song on this album has been stuck in my head for my entire adulthood. “Buckets of Rain” was one of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar, so my memories of this album are powerful indeed. As we move further away from a time when Bob Dylan’s name was mentioned in hushed reverence, like a god-like figure dropped onto the Earth for the sole purpose of creating songs, I find his legacy and importance questioned by modern critics and music fans. Anyone who does not believe that “yes, Bob Dylan was THAT important” probably can’t be saved, but if there is hope for them, it may start with this album.

If you are interested in other years, check out my Year in Review series.

To listen to all of the songs of the day, check out the Radio Faux Show Song of the Day playlist.

• Best of 1975